“When girls take flight, they rise higher than the clouds – they soar into futures filled with endless possibility.” – MJ Martin
This post highlights a few images from the annual Girls Take Flight event held this past weekend at Oshawa Municipal Executive Airport (CYOO) in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.
Girls Take Flight is a free aviation event designed to introduce girls and women to the fields of aviation and aerospace, encouraging them to explore these dynamic careers. The event features various activities including discovery flights, expos, speaker programs, and static aircraft displays. It is typically run by volunteers and supported by organizations like the First Canadian Chapter 99s and the Durham Flight Centre.
Since 2024, this event has been split into two stand-alone events to accommodate the growing demand and to better service the greater Toronto area properly. One location is in the spring at CYOO and the other part is held in the fall at CYTZ or Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
At CYOO it is all about flying in small airplanes. At CYTZ, the presentations and exhibits augment the flying. Woman from all walks of the aviation community volunteer and share their personal stories to inspire the next generation of female aviation professionals.
“Every girl who takes flight lifts a future where nothing is beyond reach.” – MJ Martin
Less than 6% of pilots are women. Girls Take Flight is a special program intended to improve the gender imbalance.
Females aged 8 and older who have never flown in a small aircraft before may register for a free discovery flight.
At “Girls Take Flight” in Oshawa, young girls are provided with an extraordinary opportunity to explore the world of aviation and aerospace through a carefully structured and inspiring event. Designed to introduce participants to the vast career possibilities in aviation, this initiative places a strong emphasis on encouraging girls to pursue paths in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fields.
Through hands-on activities, inspiring talks from industry professionals, aircraft displays, and interactive exhibits, “Girls Take Flight” highlights the exciting and rewarding roles available to women in aviation, from pilots and engineers to air traffic controllers and maintenance technicians.
By showcasing real-world examples of female success and leadership within the aviation industry, the event not only broadens the horizons of young attendees but also reinforces their confidence to envision themselves in these dynamic and traditionally underrepresented careers.
Ultimately, “Girls Take Flight” serves as a vital catalyst in empowering the next generation of women to soar beyond conventional boundaries and to realize their full potential in STEM and aviation.
“Girls take flight — charting their own course through skies of adventure and possibility.” – MJ Martin
The following are a few photographs taken at the April 27, 2025 Girls Take Flight event in Oshawa.
All photos taken with the Sony A7RV camera and the Sony 85mm f/1.4 lens. In search of bokeh, the aperture was fixed at f1.4 and the ISO was fixed at 100 and the shutter speed floated freely.
About the Author:
Michael Martin is the Vice President of Technology with Metercor Inc., a Smart Meter, IoT, and Smart City systems integrator based in Canada. He has more than 40 years of experience in systems design for applications that use broadband networks, optical fibre, wireless, and digital communications technologies. He is a business and technology consultant. He was a senior executive consultant for 15 years with IBM, where he worked in the GBS Global Center of Competency for Energy and Utilities and the GTS Global Center of Excellence for Energy and Utilities. He is a founding partner and President of MICAN Communications and before that was President of Comlink Systems Limited and Ensat Broadcast Services, Inc., both divisions of Cygnal Technologies Corporation (CYN: TSX).
Martin served on the Board of Directors for TeraGo Inc (TGO: TSX) and on the Board of Directors for Avante Logixx Inc. (XX: TSX.V). He has served as a Member, SCC ISO-IEC JTC 1/SC-41 – Internet of Things and related technologies, ISO – International Organization for Standardization, and as a member of the NIST SP 500-325 Fog Computing Conceptual Model, National Institute of Standards and Technology. He served on the Board of Governors of the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) [now Ontario Tech University] and on the Board of Advisers of five different Colleges in Ontario – Centennial College, Humber College, George Brown College, Durham College, Ryerson Polytechnic University [now Toronto Metropolitan University]. For 16 years he served on the Board of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), Toronto Section.
He holds three master’s degrees, in business (MBA), communication (MA), and education (MEd). As well, he has three undergraduate diplomas and seven certifications in business, computer programming, internetworking, project management, media, photography, and communication technology. He has completed over 50 next generation MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) continuous education in a wide variety of topics, including: Economics, Python Programming, Internet of Things, Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive systems, Blockchain, Agile, Big Data, Design Thinking, Security, Indigenous Canada awareness, and more.